Renewable Revolution

Excellent rant, AG.  I agree with all of it, as it applies to the mainstream dairy industry.

I did want to give a bit of perspective from the sustainable ag viewpoint.  One of the big points they make at Project Grass is that in raising livestock sustainably, you are primarily harvesting sunlight :icon_sunny:.  The grass is of course your primary tool, and your livestock then become your main laborers.  That puts a whole different perspective on when you need to replace them, as opposed to the mainstream view of dairy animals as "milk factories" that you shovel feed into and get milk out of.  Because animals grazing are replacing tractors and such raising fodder, that's a lot of costs that you are saving, in money, energy, and environmental damage.

As an interesting aside, in Cuba after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they did a study and figured out that the most energy-efficient dairy had just 9 cows.

As far as the ethics go, I like them simple:
1. Take care of the biosphere
2. Take care of people
3. Give more than you take
4. Be open to change